A Perfect 24 Hours in Portland

Seafood, cocktails and the outdoors sum up this 24 hours in Portland, Maine. Let me introduce you to the best lobster roll I’ve ever had…

​A couple options to start your day in Portland. If you’re into brunch, I’d suggest Central Provisions. We actually went for some small bites and a cocktail, but the food was so great, I can’t imagine their brunch is any different. If you’re more of a sweet tooth, head to Holy Donut. It’s a very well know donut shop with heavy, unique flavors. Not my style of donut because I prefer the raised version, but plenty of people have this on their must-do list for Portland.

From breakfast, head to the Casco Bay Lines to hop on a ferry to Peaks Island. You’ll have to check the schedule depending on the time of year you go, but a round-trip ticket will only run you about eight bucks. https://www.cascobaylines.com

Peaks Island has a low key, small town feel. It can feel a little touristy during peak season, but there’s enough to do to get away from the crowds. Rent a golf cart or some bikes when you get there to take a tour of the island. We opted for a golf cart to save some time and see as much of the island as we could. There are so many quaint and picturesque corners to this little island that we found it best to not have a plan and just cruise around looking for little gems. If you have more time to spend here, there are plenty of restaurants and ice creams shops to choose from. You can also go kayaking, hit the beach or take a bike ride like mentioned before.

We caught the ferry back to Portland for dinner. If you go to one restaurant while you’re in Portland, this MUST be it! We only had a party of four, so we couldn’t get reservations, which made for a pretty long wait. Sebago Brewing Company is right next door, so if you have a long wait, grab a beer and relax. Once we were finally in, and starving, we dove right in with some oysters. Everything our waitress recommended was amazing. Then, we all went for their very well known brown butter lobster rolls…oh my goodness! The BEST I’ve ever had! Currently drooling just thinking about them!

With a full belly, we were ready to wrap up our evening with a night cap. The Portland Hunt and Alpine Club had some superb cocktails in a clean and refreshing space. With such a fun menu, you might have to stay for round two.

The next morning, head to Portland Head Light (because no trip to Maine is complete without a picture perfect snapshot of a lighthouse). Take a stroll around the property and if you’re feeling hungry, make sure you plan to be there when the food trucks are parked outside. I’d recommend looking up Cousins Maine Lobster truck to see when they’ll be there and get yourself another lobster roll. Take some pics and get your fill of seafood before the trip ends!

We honestly didn’t have any bad or even ok seafood when we were in Portland-it was all superb! I’d go back to this beautiful city in a heartbeat! Stunning views around every corner, the nicest people and a small welcoming feel. I hope you love it as much as I do.